DataSmogon Usage-Based Tier Update: February 2016

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Hi everybody! It's finally time for this month's usage-based tier update. I appreciate everyone's patience as I had to rerun the scripts to fix some PS log-parsing quirks.

For those new to our system, how our tiers work is that they're primarily based on usage (the names of the tiers, OU, UU, RU and NU, literally mean "Overused," "Underused," "Rarely Used" and "Never Used"): Pokemon that are used heavily in the tier above get banned from the tiers below. PU is a pun--in English, "Pee Ew" is something you say when something stinks, like the Pokemon in the lowest tier do.

Finally, for those who are familiar with how we calculate usage stats know, we weight our stats based on player skill rating, and we're calculating stats using a baseline of 1695 for OU and 1630 for UU, RU and NU. To eliminate some numerical anomalies, we're also throwing out teams where the player's RD is greater than 100 (meaning they've had less than ~5 battles under their alt). This decision is detailed in this thread.

On top of the usage-based tiers we also have "borderline" or "BL" tiers, which are essentially Ubers banlists for the lower tiers. These lists ban Pokemon that aren't used enough in the higher tiers but are too overpowered for the lower ones. BL banlists are not subject to usage stats, except a BL Pokemon can, of course, move into a higher tier (from BL to OU, from BL2 to UU).

Also note that a Pokemon cannot drop more than one tier per update cycle. Say no one used Charizard in OU for the next three months. That would drop it down to UU, even though it had no usage in UU for that period (how could it? It was OU).

Finally, since December 2015, mega formes are counted separately from their base formes.

Further notes: suspect tests were included in the rankings wherever possible, with weight for that given tier and month being split proportional to the number of battles on each ladder. Example: say there were 10,000 OU battles in September vs. 5,000 OU Suspect battles. Then June's OU ladder would contribute 2/24 to the tiering and September's OU Suspect ladder would contribute 1/24.

Hoopa moved from UU to RU
Ampharos moved from NU to PU
Alakazam moved from OU to UU
Cryogonal moved from NU to PU
Omastar moved from RU to NU
Barbaracle moved from BL4 to NU
Gyarados-Mega moved from OU to UU
Prinplup moved from NU to PU
Charizard moved from RU to NU

FU
FU is an unofficial tier. It is not currently supported on any simulator, but for those who want to play it on, say, WiFi, here is a proper banlist:

Honedge moved from LC UU to LC OU
Houndour moved from LC OU to LC BL
Skrelp moved from LC OU to LC BL
Cranidos moved from LC UU to LC OU
Anorith moved from LC OU to LC UU
Pumpkaboo-Super moved from LC OU to LC UU
Pancham moved from LC OU to LC BL
Gothita moved from LC OU to LC UU

Galvantula moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Banette-Mega moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Kecleon moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Gardevoir moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Lucario moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Sableye moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Blaziken-Mega moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Pachirisu moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Ninetales moved from Doubles UU to Doubles OU
Medicham-Mega moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Entei moved from Doubles NU to Doubles UU
Arcanine moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Volcarona moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Charizard-Mega-X moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Excadrill moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Porygon-Z moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Ampharos-Mega moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Kangaskhan moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Deoxys-Attack moved from Doubles NU to Doubles UU
Altaria-Mega moved from Doubles NU to Doubles UU
Diancie moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Empoleon moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Forretress moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Victini moved from Doubles UU to Doubles OU
Scizor-Mega moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Mawile moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Doublade moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Mawile-Mega moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Metagross-Mega moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Landorus moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Camerupt-Mega moved from Doubles UU to Doubles OU
Blaziken moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Noivern moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Eelektross moved from Doubles NU to Doubles UU
Scizor moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Jellicent moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Sableye-Mega moved from Doubles OU to Doubles UU
Swampert moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Swampert-Mega moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Pangoro moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Charizard moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU
Metagross moved from Doubles UU to Doubles NU

WHAT DAH FUCK, how does Sylveon and Conkeldurr stay OU while Alakazam goes to UU god damn... that is some messed up shit in my honest opinion, especially considering the fact that regular Alakazam is very much viable, more so then either of the aforementioned 2. Sigh....